THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Little Rock, Arkansas)
_______________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release January 17, 2001
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
I am notifying the Congress that I have decided to suspend for an
additional six months implementation of provisions of Title III of the
Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act, which allow legal actions to
be brought against firms trafficking in confiscated properties in Cuba. I
believe this action will enhance efforts by the United States to strengthen
international cooperation aimed at promoting peaceful democratic change in
Cuba.
For the past five years, the United States has pursued a strategy,
coordinated by the Department of State, to increase international pressure
on the Cuban Government to respect human rights and to begin political and
economic reforms. Our friends and allies have joined us by taking concrete
actions to try to hasten the day when Cuba will join the community of
democratic nations. Encouraged by the results of our efforts to elicit the
aid of our friends, I said in January 1997 that I expected to continue
suspending this provision of Title III so long as our partners? stepped up
pro-democracy efforts continued.
Over the past six months, the international community has continued to
send a clear message to the Cuban Government on the need for greater
respect for human rights and democratic reforms. For the second
consecutive year, the Cuban government experienced diplomatic isolation at
the Ibero-American Summit, as other heads of state criticized Cuba?s
undemocratic government and abysmal human rights record. In the same vein,
the Government of Canada has made clear that Cuba will not be invited to
the 2001 Summit of the Americas, as the summit is for democratic nations
only. The Cuban Government is hearing a consistent, firm message that it
is time for peaceful, democratic change in Cuba.
I encourage our friends and allies to continue taking effective steps
to promote democracy and human rights in Cuba.
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